LOS ANGELES—Sony made several PlayStation Vita-related announcements at its E3 2012 press conference here, including two, new third-party games, a Vita version of an upcoming, first-party game, and some new video services for the handheld.

Sony's upcoming PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale will get a Vita version, and players on the Vita and PlayStation 3 versions of the game will be able to fight each other.

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed will be coming to the PlayStation Vita with Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation. The game will take place during the French Revolution, and will have the first female Assassin main character in the series. Players with Assassin's Creed 3 for the PlayStation 3 and Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation for the Vita will get bonuses for both games from the opposite title, like a new skin and Assassin's Creed 3 protagonist Connor's tomahawk. The Vita will get its first white version with the Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation bundle, a package that includes the game.

The Vita will also get Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified from Activision. The press conference only teased a logo of the game, so there is no word on how it might tie in to the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but Sony emphasized the game's console-like experience with the Vita's 5-inch OLED screen and two analog sticks.

Besides new games, the Vita will also get Cross Controller, which will let players use the Vita as a PlayStation 3 controller for some games, giving additional information and controls with the device's touch screen. The first game to get Cross Controller compatibility is Littlebigplanet 2, which will also get new levels, costumes, and objects in a DLC pack later this year.

Sony confirmed that PSOne Classics, the original Sony PlayStation games available over the PlayStation Network, will come to the Vita. Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy 7 will both be available for the Vita, along with Arc the Lad, Wild Arms, Cool Boarders 2, Twisted Metal 2, and Jet Moto. Other titles are expected, but a complete list has not been released.

The Vita will get new multimedia services in the coming months. It already has Netflix and YouTube is coming to the device later this month, and Sony announced at the presentation that Hulu Plus and free video service Crackle will also come to the PlayStation Vita in the future.

About the Author

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert... See Full Bio

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.